Henderson Group, SPAR distributor in Northern Ireland, said it raised over £49,000 for Action Mental Health (AMH) last year, while bringing even more wellbeing services and awareness to its workforce.
The group, which employs over 5,000 people, announced its partnership with the local charity in 2022, and has since raised over £94,000, with every penny going towards the organisation’s vital work in promoting positive mental health and wellbeing across Northern Ireland.
Since establishing the partnership, AMH has continued to respond to growing demand for mental health services across Northern Ireland through their range of mental health recovery and counselling services, alongside innovative new resilience building programmes for schools, community groups and workplaces.
“Support from our corporate partners like Henderson Group enable us to make a real difference to people’s lives who are seeking support for their mental wellbeing. This fantastic contribution allows us to provide even more vital support across the region, transforming lives and promoting positive wellbeing, particularly through our recently launched ‘I am Someone’ campaign,” Jane Robertson, fundraising and engagement coordinator at Action Mental Health, said.
“‘I am Someone’ seeks to remind us of the likelihood that we all know someone who has faced or will face mental health challenges in their lifetime. Behind the statistics, there is a person with an important story to tell.”
Bronagh Luke from Henderson Group added: “We were delighted to be part of the I am Someone launch and to hear directly from those who have been utilising the services and facilities available from Action Mental Health, which our donations contribute towards.
“Our entire workforce has access to support from Action Mental Health, including personal development programmes and activities to support positive mental health and emotional wellbeing. We also implemented many activities throughout the year to give back to the charity, including a week-long series of events to mark World Mental Health Day in October.”
During the week, the business invited the charity’s Antrim Services clients, to sell their handmade festive gifts during a Christmas craft sale for staff.
Employees could also avail from a seated yoga webinar, free acupressure massage or reflexology appointments along with self-care webinars facilitated by Annette Kelly who is a personal development and performance coach. Action Mental Health delivered a Steps to Wellbeing webinar.
Bronagh continued: “We also gave a nod to Action Mental Health by wearing purple on World Mental Health Day (10th October), and held a raffle for a wellness hamper, while our Henderson Retail stores also marked the day getting involved in lots of fundraising activities, which raised over £11,000 alone.”
Henderson Group’s partnership with Action Mental Health will continue throughout 2025.
UK's newest buying group The Wholesale Group held its first tradeshow since its launch in January 2025 which saw supplier partners and members come together to plan for future growth.
Held at Cheltenham Racecourse on Thursday (20), the event saw more than 190 supplier partners meet with more than 180 wholesale members.
“The tradeshow exceeded all our expectations and was a fantastic success with incredibly high levels of attendance,” said Jess Douglas, joint managing director.
“The new venue and the event itself really demonstrate the scale and diversity of The Wholesale Group.
“To see so many members and suppliers come together to discuss plans for the coming months, share the latest product innovation and take advantage of our on-the-day deals was wonderful.
"The energy throughout the day and evening was incredible and a great way to cement our plans for the group moving forwards.”
Coral Rose, The Wholesale Group co-chair, agreed: “We are delighted with the tremendous turnout of members for the show, all proudly representing independent family-owned businesses in foodservice and retail wholesale. The event successfully generated significant value to all these businesses demonstrating our collecting scale while creating valuable connections with our suppliers.”
“Events like this really are invaluable,” said Kate Robinson, regional account manager, Unilever Food Solutions UK.
“This industry thrives on face-to-face interaction and meeting with members in person to plan for the future and share our latest product development always provides critical insight.”
Dan Dunster, national account manager, CCEP, said, “What a fantastic event and an excellent venue. We were able to have several good business discussions with members and for me as account manager for The Wholesale Group, it is so effective to be face to face.
"This is such a valuable use of our time as both the day and the evening were great opportunities to build on relationships. It was amazing to see members and suppliers recognised for their work.”
Following the tradeshow, The Wholesale Group held a formal black-tie dinner where it presented awards to suppliers and members in recognition of engagement and performance with Confex during 2024.
Thompson Foodservice Ltd achieved double success as it was named Foodservice Member of the Year as well as Green Wholesaler of the Year.
“The Wholesale Group Awards showcased the best of independent wholesale,” said Tom Gittins, joint managing director.
“Across the board we saw outstanding achievements from both our members and suppliers with awards spanning retail and foodservice across all product categories, with winners represented across delivered, cash and carry, export, direct to consumer, residual and events.
:These awards remind me how lucky we are to have such a strong group with best-in-class partners, the perfect recipe for future growth.”
Later in the year, The Wholesale Group will be holding a foodservice fair in Stratford upon Avon on 11 September and an annual conference in Tenerife, from 9-12 October.
The Wholesale Group now has 257 members and a group turnover in excess of £4.5bn, representing more than 13.7 per cent of UK wholesale.
Wholesale businesses are urged to drive change by creating more female role models as a recent report shows that the number of women at board level in wholesale firms has fallen to its lowest recorded level.
Food and Drink Wholesale UK (FWD) and Women in Wholesale (WiW) on Tuesday (18) unveiled a new research report which was launched at a landmark Parliamentary Reception to mark ten years of the Women in Wholesale movement.
According to the report, the number of women at board level has fallen to its lowest recorded level – just 16 per cent in 2025, down from 20 per cent in 2022 and 17 per cent in 2019.
With the UK national average for board-level female representation at 48 per cent, wholesale is severely under-indexing, highlighting an urgent need for action.
The research also found that 67 per cent of respondents cited male-dominated workplaces as the biggest challenge for women in wholesale.
44 per cent identified a lack of female role models as a key barrier to career progression while only 30 per cent of businesses have a written menopause policy, and just 25 per cent provide menopause awareness training for managers.
Unconscious bias remains a critical issue, with 43 per cent of respondents saying it impacts decision-making and promotions.
Despite these challenges, there are signs of progress. The report adds that flexible working options are now offered by 65 per cent of businesses.
At the event, FWD urged wholesale businesses to take the following actions:
Increase the visibility of female role models – 53 per cent of respondents believe this is key to driving change.
Introduce unconscious bias training – currently, only offered by 33 per cent of businesses.
Enhance parental leave and flexible working policies – only 36 per cent of businesses go beyond the statutory minimum.
Develop mentorship opportunities for women – a major gap, as just 12 per cent of companies currently provide this.
FWD called on government to engage directly with representatives from the wholesale industry in the Employment Rights Bill consultations, including those on equal pay and flexible working, to ensure reforms are practical for the sector.
The wholesale body is also calling on the government to rethink its approach to business rates reform and exempt food and drink wholesalers, to ensure they can continue their vital role in supporting public services, local businesses, and communities.
The wholesalers are also demanding protections for wholesale workers and ensure that all wholesale premises are covered in the upcoming Crime and Policing Bill.
While quotas have been debated, with 56 per cent of respondents concerned they may undermine merit-based hiring, the solution lies in fostering an environment where women naturally progress.
“Empowering women in wholesale is about more than quotas,” said Elit Rowland, founder, WiW. ”It’s about creating real, sustainable change through workplace culture, policies, and leadership.”
“The wholesale sector has made progress, but the drop in female board representation is a wake-up call. We need real, structural support at every stage – from early career to maternity, menopause, and leadership. Now is the time for businesses to act, not just talk, to create a culture where women can thrive.”
Lyndsey Cambridge, head of external affairs, FWD agreed: “Our landmark report serves as both a reality check and a roadmap for the future.
"The message is clear: women working within the wholesale sector want businesses to address gender disparity, champion for change, and create the role models who will inspire the next generation of female leaders.”
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Kitwave’s Automatic Retailing depot in North Shields, Tyne & Wear
Kitwave Group, the delivered wholesale business, has reported strong revenue and profit growth for its 2024 fiscal.
In the 12 months ended 31 October 2024, the group revenues increased by 10.2 per cent to £663.7 million, and adjusted operating profit rose by 6.3 per cent to £34m. Like-for-like revenue growth stood at 5 per cent.
“Kitwave has delivered another strong full-year performance. We have met full-year market expectations, achieved organic growth and expanded our operations, particularly in our foodservice division,” Ben Maxted, chief executive of Kitwave, commented.
"The group had a clear plan for FY24 to invest for growth in three key areas: IT, delivery infrastructure and strategic M&A opportunities. The successful execution of this plan saw new warehouse technology enhancing operational efficiencies, a new state-of-the-art storage and delivery facility in the South West and three acquisitions completed, which have significantly increased the scale of the group's UK network.”
The group completed three acquisitions – WLG (Holdings) Limited in Oldham, Total Foodservice Solutions Limited in the North of England and Creed Catering Supplies Limited in the South of England – in the reporting period, significantly expanding its foodservice division.
The company said WLG and Total Foodservice have been fully integrated into the group, with expected operational and financial synergies starting to be realised.
It also completed the new 80,000 square-foot distribution centre in September 2024, adding further capacity for growth of foodservice operations in the South West.
“Looking ahead, the Group has started the new financial year well, and the board is already working towards its goals for FY25. We believe this will generate value for our stakeholders, and we would like to thank all our people for another successful year,” Maxted added.
Wholesaler JW Filshill, having achieved its 2020 pledge to cut its carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 five years early, is prioritising sustainability in its 150th anniversary year.
In terms of Filshill’s sustainability goals, the company revealed that it has reached this target five years early, boosted by its relocation to the new Renfrew site, significant investment in electric HGV vehicles, solar panels and full LED lighting, and transitioning to HVO fuel for all diesel-powered operations at Westway Business Park.
Filshil has also committed to investing in a software platform that will assist greatly in tracking Scope 3 emissions.
The wholesaler relocated to its purpose-built 120,400 sq ft distribution centre at Westway, near Glasgow Airport in March 2023
This year, the fifth-generation wholesaler has won two key industry awards for its work around sustainability and commitment to becoming a net-zero business: the Sustainable Wholesaler of the Year at Scottish Wholesale Achievers in February and, earlier this month, the Environment and Sustainability Award at the Unitas Connect Awards.
In both awards, the judges recognised investment not just in Filshill’s own operations and workforce but its engagement and collaboration with its suppliers and customers to consider all aspects of the supply chain.
Keith Geddes, chief financial and operating officer at Filshill, said, “We’ve made huge strides around sustainability within the business and leading the way within the wholesale sector not just in terms of Scotland but across the UK.
“We’ve reduced our carbon footprint by 8 per cent in the last year alone and invested in two fully electric HGVs. We have looked at several innovations to further reduce our CO2 emissions including switching to hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) for all our HGVs at Westway – this has been a game-changer for us as this is a much cleaner fuel than diesel.
“Overall, we now know that we are producing just 50g of CO2 per case which is a reduction of 65 per cent since 2021.”
He added, “We are now pushing ahead with benchmarking our Scope 3 emissions. By adopting a wholesale food and drink-focused software platform, we can better track our Scope 3 emissions.”
Geddes said getting all staff on board, across all departments, has been key to Filshill’s success in achieving its sustainability goals.
“From fairly simply measures such as reducing paper invoices and switching to e-invoicing and using both sides of the page when we do need to print something out – small actions make a huge difference over time. Backhauling is another area we are looking at," he said.
Filshill also contributes to the Zero Emission Truck Taskforce, set up by Transport Scotland, along with the Scottish Wholesale Association with which it has worked on key projects to accelerate the use of electric vehicles in Scotland’s wholesale industry.
The company, one of Scotland’s oldest and most respected independent food and drink wholesalers, is marking its 150th anniversary in 2025 with a raft of activity based around the theme Delivering Success that champions sustainability, innovation, community, and wellbeing.
Culminating with a 150th Anniversary Celebration Dinner in Glasgow in October, the year honours Filshill’s journey from its origins as a confectionery manufacturer in Glasgow’s Gallowgate in 1875 to its position today as an award-winning wholesaler serving independent KeyStore convenience stores across Scotland and the north of England. while setting the scene for a future of ambition, growth, and positivity.
The award-winning wholesaler also aims to raise £150,000 for six charities which represent large demographics of the communities they serve as part of the anniversary celebrations. Chosen by Filshill staff, the charities are:
CHAS (Children’s Hospices Across Scotland)
Dementia Scotland
Cancer Research UK
MND Scotland
SSPCA (Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)
Unitas Wholesale members will now share more than £2 million in incremental revenue in return for their participation in the group’s central promotions, publications and events.
The More for More incentive, revealed by managing director John Kinney, at the Unitas Wholesale connect25 trade show in Liverpool, will help drive engagement, execution and compliance in supplier partnership activities.
It will reward members who can demonstrate a higher level of engagement in schemes including the URP promotions programme, the retailer support portal Plan for Profit, customer-facing promotional materials and the buying group’s flagship trade show and conference.
“Our mission is to be a fitter, fairer and faster organisation, delivering incremental revenue for our members, and return on investment for suppliers,” Kinney told the members at the trade show.
“We have made great progress on being fitter – increasing the revenue returned to members by 17 per cent in the last year, and 35 per cent over the last five years, and we have helped members reduce their overheads by £3m through our Unitas Procurement scheme.
“We are also faster - increasing members cash flow through more efficient financial systems, reducing the days taken to process payments.
“Now we need to be fairer – ensuring that those members who contribute most to the group get the most out of it. This is why we are putting aside more than £2m in additional rewards for those who actively engage, and incentivise others to do the same.”
More for More offers members the opportunity to more than recoup their annual membership fee from the additional revenue stream. This approach will help members navigate a challenging trading environment while demonstrating to suppliers that their investments generate strong returns, securing long-term investment in Unitas Wholesale.
Details of the criteria for accessing the income will be shared with members.
Unitas interim chair Dr Jason Wouhra OBE, CEO of Lioncroft Wholesale, welcomed the launch of More for More, saying, “Offering embers a greater financial incentive to actively participate in Unitas’ central schemes will appeal to wholesalers’ entrepreneurial instincts and will ensure those who put the most into the group will be rewarded proportionately.
“It will also incentivise members to drive compliance in joint ventures with our suppliers, which we know is the key to building mutually beneficial relationships. This new model will help to drive the right behaviours and will be vital to unlocking future investment and sustainable growth for members individually and for the group as a whole.”
Kinney added, “We believe our members should receive 100 per cent of supplier terms investment, as these funds are intended to support your business to grow their brands.
"This transparent approach strengthens supplier trust and will maximise their investment in promoting their brands, which in turn assures future investment.”
Unitas Wholesale members are its sole shareholders, with no external parties or directors profiting from the group, with no remit for the Central Office to build excessive profits.
Unlike other buying groups, Unitas Wholesale does not retain any of the supplier terms revenue it negotiates for members.